Apparatus for burning liquid fuel



March 10', '1931. w. w. WILLIAMS 1,795,814

- APPARATUS FOR BURNING'LIQUID FUEL Filed Jan. 22. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. WWWILLIAMS A TTORNEYS.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 10, 1931. w. w. WILLIAMS I APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL I Filed Jan. 22. 1927 v NF: A

o E: I ///////7 A March 10, 1931. w. w. WILLIAMS 1,795,814

' APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUE L Filed :Jan. 22. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

v WWWILLIAM; M

APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL INVENTORQ ?atentied Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orricr.

WALTER W. WILLIAMS, BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNO'iR' TO WILLIAMS OIL-O- MA'IIC HEATING CORPORATION, ILLINOIS 0F BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL Application filed January 22, 1927. Serial No. 162,715.

This invention relates to improvements in the production of a gaseous fuel and more particularly to the production of the socalled producer gas from liquid fuel together with an apparatus for burning the same in a domestic liquid fuel heater or furnace.

The advantages of gaseous fuels for both domestic and industrial purposes have been long recognized and have been taken advantage of to a lar e degree in industrial heating furnaces. (araseous fuels may be divided into four classes: natural gas, producer gas, water gas and coal gas. Natural gas and coal gas have long been employed for both domestic lighting and heating, while producer gas and water gas have been rarely used for these purposes. It is an object of this invention to provide a means for making and using a gaseous fuel of the producer gas type in connection with a domestic heating system which may also be used for industrial purposes. It

has been found that producer gas is a very cheap and valuable fuel for metal heat-treating furnaces and produces a very uniform heat. It is possible for producer gas to raise the temperature of a furnace to a required degree more quickly than with any other form of fuel.

Producer gas has heretofore been made by 39 forcing air through a bed of incandescent coal or coke in specially constructed furnaces called gas producers. Such gas producers usually consist of a space enclosed by a refractory material and containing solid fuel such as coal, coke, or Wood, at a high temperature, through which air and steam are caused to pass. The reaction between the air and steam-and the fuel, which latter consists largely of carbon, causes the formation of 40 hydrogen and carbon monoxide. These two combustible gases, mixed with the inert nitrogen introduced by the air form the gas known as producer gas.

It is the main object of this invention to utilize liquid fuel, such as the heavier residues of petroleum such as fuel oil, in place of the solid fuels heretofore used in the manufacture of producer gas. This improved apparatus briefly consists in means for heating to incandescence divided particles of refractory material contained within an enclosed refractory lined receptacle and passing through such incandescent particles liquid fuel in an atomized or vaporized condition which fuel, in passing through the incandescent refractory particles, becomes broken up in much the same manner as in a gas producer, and the carbon and other constituents of the liquid fuel are rearranged from their original physical and chemical state of combination resulting in a gas, which when mixed with air, will give approximately the same effect as the producer gas heretofore described. Steam may also be added to the atomized oil or liquid fuel passing through the incandescent particles of refractory material by ad mitting a small stream of water into the enclosed receptacle after the refractory particles therein have been heated to incandescence.

While the preferred forms of this invention are illustrated upon the accompanying sheets of drawings, yet, it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made in the same without departing from the scope of this invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of a preferred embodiment of this invention, as applied. to a domestic heating system, with parts broken away and the electric circuit illustrated in diagram.

Figure 2 is a View in vertical central section taken through the gas producer apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of another embodiment of this invention, illustrating the wiring of the electric circuits in diagram.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical central section taken through the gas producer apparatus illustrated in Figure 3.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. This embodiment illustrates the application of this invention to one form of commercial domestic heating furnace. While this and another embodiment of this invention are illustrated in connection with a domestic heating furnace, it is to be understood that this invention can be employed in connection with heating furnaces of an industrial type April 17, 1928. Liquid fuel is supplied from a tank or other source, not shown, through a valve controlled pipe3 to the metering pump which, during the operation of the motor, supplies liquid fuel at a constant rate to the atomizing pump. A predetermined amount of water is supplied by gravity through a pipe 4 from'atankabove the motor to the atomizing pump where it is mixed with air and liquid fuel' in an atomized condition.

A gas producing chamber 5 is illustrated in Figure 1 between the motor and domestic heating-furnace. This gas producing cham-' her, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a metallic casing lined with refractory. material. It is preferable to construct the bottom of this casing and lining in the form of an inverted cone with a drain cock in the apex thereof.

Within the casing and refractory material a plurality of irregular shaped pieces of refractory material 6 are supported in the sloping walls of the conical bottom. Centrally supported upon the top of the gas producing casing, a gas conduit 7 is provided which supports centrally therewithin and in this 'gas producing casing an air and liquid fuel mixture conduit 8, which preferably terminates in an enlargedextremity adjacent the upper surface of the. divided particles of refractory material. The upper end of this latter conduit 8 is provided with an angularly deposed intake chamber 9 opening to the atmosphere and is provided with a concentric pipe 10 ex tending through the center of the upper closure and communicating with the atomizing pump, the inner end of which terminates in a nozzle approximately in line with the top of the gas producing casing. Preferably on the side of the air and mixture conduit 8, opposite the chamber opening to the atmosphere. an electric ignition device 11 is 1nstalled, which may be of any desired commercial form as long as it produces a spark within the conduit. Adjacent this ignition device a pilot light aperture is provided which communicates through a valve-controlled pipe 12 tom independent gas supply, such as the commercial illuminating gas line.

An aperture is provided on the side of the gas conduit casing 7 for the reception of a. conduit 13 for conducting the fixed gas therefrom to a burner 14, which, as illustrated in Figure 1, is preferably located centrally under the grate bars in the commercial domestic heating furnace 15 illustrated. Particles of refractory material of irregular form and approximately the size of the solid fuel customarily employed in heaters of this type, are placed upon the upper side of the grate bars of the heater in the same manner as solid fuel.

When the electric motor is energized by the commercial current, the atomizing pump and metering pump will be operated to deliver liquid fuel with which particles of water are intermixed through the pipe 10 leading from the atomizing pump to be discharged at the nozzle in anatomized condition within the air and mixture conduit 8 and will be delivered therefrom under pressure and in the form of a spray. The pilot light having been ignited at the time the motor is energized, this atomized spray mixture rising in the mixture conduit will become ignited and the flame will passdownward through the air and mixture conduit drawing air through the upper intake chamber 9 opening to the atmosphere along with it so that the ignited mixture and air will pass downward and be discharged from its surrounding conduit 8 upon the particles of refractory material 6 supported upon the bottom of the gas producer casing. These particles will be rapidly heated and become incandescent and if these particles are irregular in form, the li uid fuel mixture and air will passthroug the interstices thereof and be deflected upward against the refractory lining of the gas producer casin and thence pass into the' gas conduit casing% and from there through the fixed gas conduit 13 to the burner where the gas will mix with the surrounding air and pass upward through the particles of refractory material supported upon the grate bars and when ignited will burn in the same manner as producer gas. Y

It is preferable that certain electric controls be employed in the operation of this device, particularly so when installed as a part of the heating system of a dwelling. As illustrated in Figure 1, the motor is connected in circuit through a room thermostat 2 with the source of commercial electricity. A commercial thermostat of this type may be set to close the circuit when the temperature of the room in which it is placed descends to a certain degree and when the temperature of this room is increased to a certain degree, the thermostat will operate to break the circuit to the motor. It is also preferable to place in circuit between the thermostat and motor an ignition device 22 and an electrically operated and controlled valve 23 in the pipe 12 leading from the pilot light to the independent source of gas supply.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the room ther mostat 2 is connected in series with the motor 1 and a control for igniting the pilot light upon the initial closing of the motor circuit and then after a sufiicient time for the ignition of the mixture issuing from the nozzle at the end of the pipe 10 has elapsed to cut terminals. 'cuit with the lead from the motor to the com the amount of air entering through the air.

intake chamber 9 and comprises a pivoted damper l6 centrally mounted within the chamber 9 which is normally held in the open position, illustrated in dotted lines on Figure 2, by the spring-pressed operating rod 17 which passes downward through a housing upon the under side of the intake chamber 9 and enters at its lower end into a thermal chamber 18 entering the interior of the gas producing chamber with the lower extremity of the rod 17 engaging the upper slde of a bi-metal strip 19 secured at one end to the inner end of said chamber. The damper operating arm 20 pivoted to the operating rod ,eXte'nds,beyond the damper and mounts a mercury tube control switch 21 having two terminals entering adjacent one end thereof and so arranged that when the damper is opened, the tube will betilted so that the mercury closes the circuit between the two One of these terminals is in cirmercial line and the other terminal is in circuit with the lead from the thermostat to the motor. Interposed in this shunt circuit between'the thermostat and mercury tube switch control is a spark coil 22, one terminal of the secondary circuit of which is connected to the ignition device .11, here shown as a'commercial spark plu and the other terminal of which grounded to any part of the device, here shown as connected to the atomizing mixture pipe 10. A solenoid operated valye 23 in the gas pipe 12 is also interpoqled in the circuit between the thermostat and t e mercury tube switch control. It is, therefore, seen that when the device is in the inoperative or cold position, the mercury tube switch control places the spark coil and solenoid valve in circuit between the thermostat and return lead from the motor to the commercial line but the circuit is broken through the thermostat. When the temperature causes the thermostat to lace the motor in circuit, the spark coil will e energized too erate the ignition device and at the same time the solenoid valve will be energized to open the supply of gas to tion of the inotor will cause the atomized mixture to issue from the nozzle at the end of the pipe 10. The atomized mixture will rise in the air and fuel conduit 8 until ignited by the gas pilot and thereafter the pressure from the nozzle will cause the flame to pass downward and impinge upon the particles of refractory material 6 at the bottom of the gas producing chamber. Air will be drawn in through the intake chamber 9 in sufficient quantities to intermingle with the mixture the pilot and the operaissuing from the nozzle and cause combustion of suflicient intensity to heat therefractory particles to incandescence. As the temperature within the gas producing chamber'5 increases, it will be transmitted to the thermal chamber 18 causing the bi-metal strip 19 to expand and thereby from the nature of itsconstruction, cause the outer free end to descend, which will allow the operating rod 17 in engagement therewith to descend and operate the damper to partially close the intake chamber 19, reducing the supply of air to the air and mixture conduit 8 and at the same time tilting the mercury tube control switch to break the 'eircuit therethrough. This operation of the control switch breaks the circuit through the spark coil and solenoid operated gas valve discontinuing the supply of gas to the pilot and the operation of the ignition device and by the position of the damper at the same time increasing the richness of the mixture impinging upon the particles of refractory material. 6. These particles having been heated to incandescency will act upon the rich mixture of atomized oil, steam, and air'passing through the interstices thereof to break up the liquid fuel so that the resultant fixed gas arising in the gas conduit 7 will be of approximately the same nature as producer gas formed in the ordinary commercial gas producer.

Figures 3 and 1 illustrate a modified form of this device in which parts similar to those illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 are referred to by corresponding reference numerals. In this form, the electric motor is mounted upon the upper side of the air and fuel mixture conduit 8 with its shaft in line with the center thereof and the center of the gas producing chamber 5. Interposed between the top of the gas producing'chamber 5 and the-air and fuel mixture conduit 8, is a concentric casing 26 mounting aa'otary fan blower 27 thereon, the rotor of which is mounted upon and operated by the shaft of the motor. This shaft extends therebelow and terminates in a conical sleeve 28 entering the top of the gas producing chamber 5 and secured by a spider to the lower end of the motor shaft.

A liquid fuel pipe 3 leading from a tank or other source of liquid fuel supply enters below the rotary fan blower 26 and discharges into the upper open end and against the inner wall of the conical sleeve 28 and is provided with a drip valve on the exterior of the casing. whereby the predetermined amount of liquid fuel at a predetermined rate is delivered to the interior of the sleeve 28. A similar pipe 4 is arranged in a similar manner leading from a source of water supply whereby a predetermined amount of water at a predetermined rate may be discharged in a similar manner in the conical.

sleeve 28. A gas pilot pipe 12 is prox'ided the lower end of the conical sleeve, which pilot is connected to an independent gas supply and is controlled by a valve in the pipe leading thereto. An ignition device in the form of a spark plug 11 is also arranged to produce a spark within the gas producer chamber adjacent to the pilot, The air intake chamber 9 is provided with a' handoperated damper 9a for controlling the amount of air entering thereto. The fan blower is provided With an intake on the upper side through which air passing the damper is drawn into the fan blower, which air is discharged through a pipe 29 leading downward on the exterior of the gas producing ghamherfi. In this casing the bottom of the gas producing chamber is providedwith a central discharge pipe 30 and one pole of a spark coil 22, the other pole of which is grounded to some metal part of the apparatus. The spark coil primary circu-it is placed in circuit with the commercial source of electricity by the operation of a commercial knife switch S. The gas, liquid fuel, and water supply are regulated ,by manually operated valves, as shown. The amount of air entering the air intake is also regulated by the manually operated damper. In operation, the spark coil is first placed in circuit and the independent gas supply valve open whereby the pilot light is ignited by the spark plug and if there is not sufficient natural draft from the gas producing chamber through the fixed gas conduit pipe to cause the flame from the pilot light to heat the particles of refractory material at the bottom of the gas producing chamber, the motor'is also placed in circuit whereby the fan blower will be operated to admit sufiicient air for this purpose to the combustion chamber and induce a draftaihrough it into the fixed gas conduit )1 e. inzihually operated to admit liquid fuel and water to the inner surfaces of the conical sleeve which is being rapidly rotated by the motor. This movement of the sleeve will impart a centrifugal action to the liquids, draining down the interior surfaces thereof, so thatas the liquids reach the bottom of the sleeve, they are thrown outward against the side walls of the gas producing chamber The'oil and water valves are then mas ers tinued and the valve in the gas supply pipe is closed. The valves in the fuel and water pipes andv the damper in the air intake chamber are manually regulated to admit the proper quantities of fuel, water, and air to produce the desired fixed gas entering the fixed gas conduit 13.

What I claim is:

An apparatus for burning liquid fuel comprising an atomizing pump, means for supplying liquid fuel and water to said pump, means leading the atomized mixture to a discharge nozzle, an air conduit opening to the atmosphere'at one end surrounding said nozzle, a closed receptacle, a mass of divided particles of refractory material within said receptacle, said air conduit surrounding said mixture nozzle extending Within said receptacle and terminating adjacent the sur- -1"ace of said'refractory particles, a gas conduit leading from said receptacle to a gas burner,-means extending through the air conduit wall for igniting the mixture issu; ing from said nozzle in the presence of the air, the flame from which playing upon the refractory particles heats the same to incandescence, means controlled by variations in temperature within the receptacle to control the amount of airadmitted to the air conduit, the fixed gas issuing from the incandescent particles passing out of said receptacle through the said gas conduit and adapted to be ignited at said gas burner.

WAETER W. WILLIAMS. 

